Banished (BBC2, 9pm)

ORLA Brady plays Anne Meredith in the Australian-set penal colony series as Jimmy McGovern's script really begins to fire up under the hot sun.

When you read the scripts for Banished what was your response?

It felt novelistic. With each character I came across, I wanted to come back to their story. I had no favourites and was intrigued to follow each story again.

Who is Anne Meredith?

She is described in the script as mysterious, enigmatic. When you play a part you would never describe yourself in those terms because your motives are clear to you. But I accept that Anne is a character who is apart from the others. She is not Christian in spite of Christianity being a given in the colony at that time. Anne believes that she speaks to the dead and that she is a conduit that can bring messages from the dead and even the unborn. She is not a character which the others find easy to understand, hence there is suspicion and fear of her, especially from the vicar.

Anne has a close relationship with Mrs Johnson. Is she manipulating her?

When there is a person who is without power, status or wealth and they form a relationship with somebody who can possibly do them favours, it will always be viewed cynically by some. I think Anne genuinely notices a sadness within Mrs Johnson, and her intuition is to encourage Mrs Johnson to speak of her loss, to change her perspective on it. It’s the only relationship between two women in the show and I think a very real connection.

Everyone in the colony is there to work, what is Anne’s job?

Anne and Kitty are washerwomen and cooks, so we do women’s work in a tough environment. Washing, of course, was terribly, terribly harsh because you barely had warm water. Cooking just meant rustling up endless pancakes. I could make you one now if you wanted, in a minute. It’s basically maize meal with weevils in there to provide protein!

What was the highlight of your time in Australia?

There are so many... like paddle-boarding in the harbour before work. But I have to go with a volleyball game on the beach. It was Establishment versus Convicts. So soldiers, housekeeper, governor, made up one volleyball team and all the convicts the other. Obviously the convicts won – we’re tougher.

Richard III: The King Laid to Rest (Channel 4, 8pm)

THIS is the final programme in Channel 4's coverage of the reburial of Richard III. The solemn ceremony began on Sunday when the 15th Century monarch's remains were transported in a procession from the site of his death at Bosworth Battlefield, through the streets of Leicester to the city's cathedral. Here, we'll see highlights from the funeral itself, which was due to take place earlier in the day and was attended by the king's descendants as well as those involved in locating him. There's also a chance to see live coverage of the event's final moments, including the extinguishing of the Bosworth beacon, which was lit on Sunday.

The Truth About Calories (BBC1, 9pm)

COUNTING calories can become an obsession – just ask anyone who's ever been on a diet. But we may never look at their numbers printed labels on food packets in the same way again after watching this programme. Dr Chris van Tulleken wants to know how accurate the figures are, and if counting calories is actually any use to consumers whatsoever. He begins by taking nine randomly selected supermarket foods to an independent testing laboratory – which uncovers that only one label is correct, while the rest fall ten per cent above or below the stated amount.Finally, the boffin reveals how to cut down on calorie intake without compromising taste – something most of us would like to know.